College Knowledge: From Information to Expectation Julie M. Williams Ty M. Cruce John V. Moore Indiana University NACAC Conference, October 6 th, 2006,

College Knowledge: From Information to Expectation

Julie M. WilliamsTy M. Cruce

John V. MooreIndiana University

NACAC Conference, October 6th, 2006, Pittsburgh

Beginning College Survey of Student Engagement

Overview

Background and Literature

Questions of Interest

Data Sources and Sample

Findings

Implications for Practice

Gaps in College Information

Students enter the college search/choice process with a wide range of expectations, information and support for their college dreams.

The quality and quantity of information available, is often contingent in part on demographics and socioeconomics (student, school & community) Families misperceive costs of college & can be

confused/frustrated by the FA process.

Students are unsure of application requirements and important application and ACT/SAT deadlines.

Students and families may start the process too late.

Why Information is Important

Information is Powerful The quality of information, family/school resources, &

social networks individual students have access to and can apply toward their educational goals plays an important role in attainment (e.g. Bourdieu, Coleman, Hossler, McDonough)

Information Forms Expectations In addition to being necessary to navigate the search

process, information also helps shape students’ expectations for college experience.

Why Do Expectations Matter?

Expectations affect the actual experiences of college students by: 1) Serving as a filter through which students evaluate and

select various types of educational opportunities.

2) Predisposing students to seek specific learning activities.

Student expectations and subsequent experience are not always congruent. Ex: First-generation or low-income students may have

less tacit knowledge of what college is like.

May influence students’ overall performance in college and satisfaction with their experience.

Questions of Interest

How do the primary information sources that shape entering students’ expectations differ by the students’ backgrounds (e.g., gender, race/ethnicity, parents’ education)?

How does the match between student and faculty expectations about time spent studying differ by the students’ backgrounds (including their primary sources of information)?

Data Sources

Beginning College Survey of Student

Engagement

Faculty Survey of Student Engagement

Annual survey of first-year students at baccalaureate degree-granting institutions

2005-2006 pilot administration at 70 institutions

Administered prior to start of classes, usually at orientation or welcome week

Annual survey of upper- and lower-division faculty

2006 administration at 131 institutions

Administered during the spring semester

What Does BCSSE Examine?

Experiences (Time on Task, Courses, Grades)

College Expectations (Degree Plans, Time on Task, Grades)

Importance of Activities (College Emphases, Activities)

Baseline Self-Assessment (Knowledge, skills & personal development)

Demographics (HS Size, HS Type, 1st Generation)

What Does FSSE Examine?

Faculty perceptions of how often their students engage in different activities

The importance faculty place on various areas of learning and development

Nature and frequency of student-faculty interactions

How faculty organize class time

Survey Instrument Histories

Both surveys were designed as companions to the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) Annual survey of first-year students and seniors at

four-year institutions that measures extent to which students engage in educational practices associated with high levels of learning and development.

Documents dimensions of quality in undergraduate education and provides information and assistance to colleges, universities, and other organizations to improve student learning.

Approximately 600 institutions plan to participate in NSSE 2007 in the spring.

Study Sample

Student Sample 26,620 entering first-year students

59% female, 41% male

77% white, 23% of color

64% have at least one parent with a bachelor’s degree

Institutional Sample 60 baccalaureate degree-granting institutions

Includes 1 Canadian University

60% private, 40% public

Undergraduate student body <400 to >35,000

Range on Barron’s from non-competitive to most competitive

Findings

Part One:Primary Source of

Expectations

Primary Source of Expectations

BCSSE asks of entering college students: To what extent have the following influenced your

expectations about your experience at this college? Family members Friends/students in high school Friends/students already attending this college High school guidance counselors High school teachers/administrators College recruiters/admissions counselors College website/materials Campus visits College orientation External publications (e.g., guidebooks)

Responses range from ‘Not at all’ to ‘A lot’

Family/Friends

High School

College


Using cluster analysis, we identified four student types Those students who primarily relied on:

Family and Friends 42% High School 10% College 22% All Sources Equally 26%

Question of Interest #1

How do the primary information sources that shape entering students’ expectations differ by the students’ backgrounds?

Examples:

Are males more likely than females to rely on family/friends as a primary source of information?

Are private high school students more likely than public high school students to rely on the college as a primary source of information?

Have some ideas? Its time to test your knowledge…


Imagine two hypothetical college-bound students…

Who are similar in all of the following ways but one:

Gender High School Grades

Race High School Leadership

Parents’ Education High School Type

Degree Aspirations College Selectivity

Test Your Knowledge: #1

Females are less likely than males to rely on high school as a primary source of information.

True

False

Primary Source of ExpectationsBy Gender

Family & Friends High School College All

43 43

911

23 2225 23

05

1015

202530

3540

4550

Female Male


Asian American students are less likely than students of other races to rely on family/friends as a primary source of information.

True

False

Primary Source of ExpectationsBy Race


29

47

3943

11 1012

10

26

15

2224

33

27 2723

05

1015

202530

3540

4550

African American Asian American Hispanic White


First-generation students are more likely than other students to rely on high school as a primary source of information.

True

False

Primary Source of ExpectationsBy Parents’ Education


39

45

13

8

23 2325 23

05

1015

202530

3540

4550

Neither Parent with Bachelor's At Least One Parent with Bachelor's


Students with higher degree aspirations are more likely than students with lower aspirations to rely on college as a primary source of information.

True

False

Primary Source of ExpectationsBy Degree Aspirations


43 42 43

10 10 10

23 23 2324 25 24

05

101520253035404550

Bachelor's Level DegreeExpectations

Master's Level DegreeExpectations

Doctoral Level DegreeExpectations


Students with lower high school GPAs are less likely than students with higher GPAs to rely equally on all sources of information.

True

False

Primary Source of ExpectationsBy High School GPA


41 43

10 10

21 2328

24

05

1015

202530

3540

4550

High School GPA of 3.0 High School GPA of 4.0


Students who are less involved in leadership activities are more likely than students who are more involved to rely on family/friends as a primary source of information.

True

False

Primary Source of ExpectationsBy High School Leadership


47

37

10 9

23 2120

33

05

101520253035404550

High School Leadership Index (Lower) High School Leadership Index(Higher)


Students who attend private high schools are more likely than their public school peers to rely on high school as a primary source of information.

True

False

Primary Source of ExpectationsBy High School Type


43

32

41

10

20

11

22 21 2226 28 27

05

101520253035404550

Public High School Private High School Religious High School


Students who attend more selective colleges are more likely than students who attend less selective colleges to rely on college as a primary source of information.

True

False

Primary Source of ExpectationsBy Selectivity of College Attended


47

37

10 10

17

292724

05

101520253035404550

Barron's Less Selective Barron's Highly Selective


“Test Your Knowledge” Scores 7-8 Good Job!

5-6 Not Bad!

1-4 This has been educational, No?

Summary of Findings

Most students rely on family/friends as a primary source of information to shape their college expectations

Differences in the primary source of information on which students rely seem most pronounced by: Race

Parents’ education

High school leadership

High school type

Selectivity of the college attended


Question for Consideration:

(When) Does the source of information matter?

Answer:

When examining the accuracy of student expectations

Example:

Comparing student expectations with faculty expectations about the time per week that students spend studying

Findings

Part Two:Matching Faculty

Expectations

Time Spent Studying

BCSSE asks of entering college students:

During the coming school year, about how many hours do you think you will spend in a typical 7-day week preparing for your class (studying, reading, writing, doing homework or lab work, analyzing data, rehearsing, and other academic activities)?

FSSE asks of lower division faculty and instructors:

In a typical 7-day week, about how many hours do you expect your students to spend preparing for your class (studying, reading, writing, doing homework or lab work, analyzing data, rehearsing, and other academic activities)

Student responses were compared to adjusted average lower division faculty responses by college Carnegie Classification

Question of Interest #2

How does the match between student and faculty expectations about time spent studying differ by the students’ backgrounds?

Examples:

Are students who primarily rely on family/friends more likely than other students to match faculty expectations?

Are students who attend more selective colleges less likely than other students to match faculty expectations?

Have some ideas?

Its time again to test your knowledge…

Matching Faculty Expectations

Imagine two hypothetical college-bound students…

Who are similar in all of the following ways but one:

Primary Source of Information High School Grades

Gender High School Leadership

Race High School Type

Parents’ Education College Selectivity

Degree Aspirations


Students who primarily rely on which source of information have the greatest likelihood of matching faculty expectations?

Family/Friends

High School

College

All Sources

Matching Faculty ExpectationsBy Information Source

50 53 55 58

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

Family/Friends High School College All


Females are less likely than males to match faculty expectations.

True

False

Matching Faculty ExpectationsBy Gender

5551

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

Female Male


Asian Americans are more likely than students of any other race to match faculty expectations.

True

False

Matching Faculty ExpectationsBy Race

5559

52 53

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

African American Asian American Hispanic/Latino White


First-generation students are less likely than other students to match faculty expectations.

True

False

Matching Faculty ExpectationsBy Parents’ Education

52 54

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

Neither Parent with Bachelor's At Least One Parent with Bachelor's


Students with higher degree aspirations have the same likelihood as students with lower aspirations of matching faculty expectations.

True

False

Matching Faculty ExpectationsBy Degree Aspirations

4954

59

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

Bachelor's Level DegreeExpectations

Master's Level DegreeExpectations

Doctoral Level DegreeExpectations


Students with higher high school GPAs are more likely than students with lower GPAs to match faculty expectations.

True

False

Primary Source of ExpectationsBy High School GPA

5255

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

High School GPA 3.0 High School GPA 4.0


Students who are more active in leadership activities in high school are less likely than students who are less active to match faculty expectations.

True

False

Matching Faculty ExpectationsBy High School Leadership

4958

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

High School Leadership Index (Lower) High School Leadership Index(Higher)


True/FalseStudents who attend public high schools are less likely than students who attend private schools to match faculty expectations.

True

False

Matching Faculty ExpectationsBy High School Type

54 52 52

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

Public High School Private High School Religious High School


Students who attend more selective colleges are more likely than students who attend less selective colleges to match faculty expectations.

True

False

Matching Faculty ExpectationsBy Selectivity of College Attended

49

58

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

Barron's Less Selective College

Barron's Highly Selective College

Matching Faculty Expectations

“Test Your Knowledge” Scores

7-9 Nice Work!

5-6 Not Bad!

1-4 This has been educational, no?

Summary of Key Findings

Family/friends were by far the most often cited source of college expectations, yet students who relied primarily on this source were least likely to match faculty expectations.

Students who relied on all sources equally had the greatest likelihood of matching faculty expectations.

Summary of Key Findings

Regardless of information sources that were used, differences in entering students’ ability to match their expectations with the expectations of their faculty differed substantially by:

Race

Degree aspirations

High school leadership

Selectivity of the college attended

Implications

What does all of this mean for practice?

NACAC- Statement of Principles of Good Practice

Core Values - Include Education-Committed to educating students, their

families, the public, fellow education professionals, and ourselves about the transition to and within postsecondary education.

Fairness and Equity-Have a responsibility to treat one another and students in a fundamentally fair and equitable manner.

Social Responsibility-have a duty to serve student responsibly, by safeguarding their rights and their access to and within postsecondary education.


#1: Heavy Role of Family/Friends Focus on availability of quality and comprehensive

information for all

Do information sessions include “ what to expect” conversations? Academics? Extra-curriculars?

Is information provided at different levels of specificity?

Do we help all families (FG, low income, various races) develop accurate expectations of college?

Do we help students ask questions during campus visits that lead to accurate expectations?


#2: More Info Sources = Better Information Review information sources available to students

Timely Accurate from reliable sources Easy to understand

In what format are resources offered? Materials in office only Website Mailings to homes Local paper

How can students get information about college from you without meeting in person in your office or on campus?


#3: Who Can Help Us in These Efforts? “What to expect in college” classroom sessions

enlisting teachers and former students

Network with colleagues Ask/offer to help develop new college info

sessions and ideas for getting to know student needs

Have current college students review admission materials and websites to see if messages portray actual campus experience accurately.

College/High School Partnerships

External sources of data on entering students (CIRP, BCSSE, SAT/ACT profiles)

Take-Home Message

We can better understand our students and more effectively help them transition to and be successful in college

We can shape student expectations, which increases student persistence and college success

Collaborating with others and using student data and other info sources can help us to assist all students more effectively by confirming or challenging our perceptions

Participating InstitutionsBethel University

Brigham Young University-Hawaii

Brigham Young University

Case Western Reserve University

Clayton College and State University

Denison University

Drake University

Edgewood College

Elon University

Fort Lewis College

Goucher College

Hanover College

Harvey Mudd College

Henderson State University

Heritage University

Holy Family University

Illinois Wesleyan University

Indiana University-Bloomington

Indiana University-East

Indiana University-South Bend

John Carroll University

Loyola University Chicago

Lynchburg College

Mcneese State University

Morningside College

Mount Saint Mary's University

New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology

Northwest Christian College

Paul Smiths College of Arts and Science

Pennsylvania State University-Berks

Queen's University

Radford University

Rider University

Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology

Saint Ambrose University

Saint Xavier University

Siena College

Southern Connecticut State University

Southwestern Assemblies of God University

Southwestern College

Syracuse University

The Richard Stockton College of New Jersey

The University of Tennessee-Martin

Thiel College

Trinity Western University

University of British Columbia

University of Guelph

University of Maine at Farmington

University of Missouri-Kansas City

University of San Francisco

University of South Dakota

University of South Florida St. Petersburg

University of St Francis

University of Toronto

University of Windsor

University of Wisconsin-La Crosse

University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point

University of Wisconsin-Stout

Ursinus College

Utah State University

Virginia Commonwealth University

Viterbo University

Voorhees College

Wabash College

Washington & Jefferson College

Washington State University

Western Illinois University

Western Kentucky University

Western New Mexico University

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Contact Information

Email: Julie Williams [email protected]

Ty Cruce [email protected]

John Moore [email protected]

Presentation materials from this session

are available on the NSSE website: www.nsse.iub.edu

NSSE efforts have been supported by The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, The Pew Forum on Undergraduate Learning, The Lumina Foundation, and the Center for Inquiry into the Liberal Arts at Wabash College.

mailto:[email protected]

